Prevalence of Cleft Lip and Palate and Access to Rehabilitation Services in the South-West of Iran: A 10-Year Study

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Cleft lip and or cleft palate (CL/P) is one of the most prevalent malformations in the head and neck region. The etiology of this malformation is multifactorial, and the incidence of clefts may be affected by ethnic, racial, geographic, and socioeconomic factors, therefore this study aimed to investigate the prevalence, risk factors of CL/P, and access to rehabilitation services for these children in the south-west of Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study retrospectively analyzed birth data collected from hospitals (according to the International Classification of Diseases [ICD10] hospital registry code) in Shahrekord City, Iran, from 2011 to 2021. Frequency distribution and frequency of received rehabilitation services were analyzed. 76 children without this disorder were selected as a control group to evaluate the risk factors. Results: The overall prevalence was approximately 0.93 per 1000 live births. The prevalence of Cleft Lip (CL), cleft palate (CP), and Cleft Lip and Palate (CLP) were 0.17, 0.27, and 0.49, respectively. Of the 38 infants born with CL/P, 20 infants (52.63%) were boys and 18 (47.36%) were girls (P>0.05). The variables of cleft history, maternal disease, maternal medicine history, low infant weight, and child disease were significantly associated with CL/P (P<0.05). Also, the children with CL/P significantly delayed speech development (P<0.05). A total of 26.31% of them did not have early surgery, 10.52% had no surgery, and 34.21% had no history of speech and language treatment. Conclusion: Findings of this study showed that the overall prevalence of oral clefts was 0.93 per 1000 live births. However, some of these children did not have access to surgery and rehabilitation services in time; therefore it is necessary to plan to receive early surgery and rehabilitation services.